How do I Create Single template for custom post type with a custom URL?

Question

I have a live website that is using the custom post type "virtual-programs" and I have a template that currently works called single-virtual-program.twig and single-virtual-program.php.

I am developing new templates (single-virtual-program-new.twig and single-virtual-program-new.php)

They will eventually replace (single-virtual-program.twig and single-virtual-program.php)

During development I want to have both templates active, then once I'm happy with it, I will activate the new templates and remove the the old templates.

To do this I will need to create custom URLs for my NEW templates so I can view them while the old templates are still live. How do I go about that?

FYI I'm using Timber (.twig).

Here is the code from single-virtual-program.php

$post = Timber::query_post();
$context['post'] = $post;
$context['archive_link'] = get_site_url(null, str_replace('_', '-', $post->post_type));

$context['virtual_programs'] = Timber::get_posts(
  array(
    'post_type'       => array('virtual_programs'),
    'post__not_in'    => array($post->ID),
    'posts_per_page'  => 5,
    'meta_query'      => array(
        array(
            'key'     => 'event_type',
            'value'   => array('online', 'Online Short Course'),
            'compare' => 'NOT IN'
        )
      )
  )
);

$context["register_event_url"] = get_field("prices", $post->ID)[0]["register_link"];


Timber::render( 'single-virtual-programs-new.twig' , $context );

Thank you.

Answer 1

Template hierarchy allows you to be specific down to a post name. This then allows a method (which I have used) to test out a newer version of the template on one specific page.

See this page on WP

For example. If you create a virtual-program page called 'wpse372687', the file 'single-virtual-program-wpse372687.php' is more specific for that particular page. When you visit that page you use the new template, but any other virtual-program page uses the next best match of the old/current template.

It has its limits but its an easy way of testing side by side, if you don't want to go down the route of a staging server (which is also a good suggestion from Sally).

Answer 2

Ok, so the answer is simple and I forgot about it totally.

Just create a new template (single-virtual-program-new) and then in the single custom post, select the new template from the dropdown.